Bad Luck
by sakurademonalchemist
Summary: Train Heartnet keeps having odd dreams. Dreams about his past life. Can Train remember who he was before Creed unleashes the power of Tao on his friends? Or will Train have to relearn how to use magic the hard way?
1. Chapter 1

It was the last thing he remembered. The sky flew above him, clouds racing overhead.

His body was dead before he hit the ground. And all he could do was curse his luck.

Bellatrix Lestrange, the woman who killed Sirius, turned Neville's parents into little more than vegetables, and murdered him, was cackling.

But something went wrong. The killing curse had ended his life, but he could still think. His spectral body blinked.

Why was he still there?

_**It's not right...the prophecy cannot be denied!**_

_Screw the prophecy,_ thought Harry. The damn thing systematically ruined his life!

_**You must go back. You are not meant to die by HER hand!**_

_Like hell am I going back! I earned this break, so let me enjoy it dammit!_

_**You shall get your rest, Harry James Potter. But you will not like it as much as you want. You have the mark of destiny about you, and there is no escape.**_

_Go to Hell!_ He screamed mentally. The voice cackled, and threw him into another world. One where magic didn't exist in such large amounts.

His world blacked out as he faded from his home.

* * *

Train sat on the roof again. He didn't know why, but he always felt so at piece near the sky. Like he was meant to fly, if only he had wings.

He sat there, enjoying the moonlight as he drank his milk. Ever since he was little, he drank the stuff. It was probably because of that reason he was almost six feet tall. Stray cats always flocked to him because he shared his drink.

Then again, he was practically a cat himself. His nickname _was_ Black Cat.

He drank his milk. He had another mission in the morning.

He closed his golden eyes as he lay down on the bed. He didn't like the killing, but that was his job.

"I've come to deliver some bad luck."

The gun rang in the night. His target was definitely dead. If not, then he had to be superhuman to survive a shot to the brain. His feet ran as fast as he could. He had to escape before what little security remained tried to stop him. Not that there was much left after he knocked them out.

He didn't pause when he felt Creed appear. The man always stalked him, even when asked to leave him alone.

The only consolation was that the creep at least stayed out of his flat.

Though he seriously doubted that Creed couldn't get in.

He finally stopped near a cafe. That word always left a bad taste in his mouth.

Serious.

A memory of a black dog with friendly blue eyes always hit him when he heard that word...then a vision of him falling into a strange curtain thing.

He sat down, and enjoyed his cup of tea. He always preferred the drink, instead of coffee.

When he left, he laid down a good tip for the waitress.

He was back in his flat before the sun rose.

* * *

He really needed to get his own transport. He was tired of the cars that Chronos made him use. The things never had their heaters or air conditioning working.

He checked his stash of pay. Chronos didn't encourage keeping their paycheck out of the banks, but they didn't say they couldn't. He had more than enough to last him three months. Especially if he found an old building or one under renovation. He could handle living in a place that wasn't exactly pleasant.

He was a cat after all.

Train walked into the dealership and found one he liked. He remembered something similar from his memories.

By the time he got another mission, he was ready to drive his new motorcycle.

He tied his helmet on securely. The last thing he wanted to deal with was a cop getting on his case about the safety laws.

As he flew through the night, his coat fluttered in the breeze. The numbers tattooed on his chest were clearly visible.

Thirteen. He always liked that number. And the moniker Black Cat...always amused him. His luck used to be phenomenally bad growing up. He was glad that he was the one bringing the bad luck for a change.

The vehicle roared in the night.

* * *

By dawn's cold light, Train was in the city where his target lived. He waited at a hotel so he could sleep. By midnight he was wide awake and ready to take out the tyrant. He made sure to eat a hearty meal before leaving. He would need the energy to drive all night.

Black Cat ran and jumped over the obstacles. If there was one activity he enjoyed, it was free running. None of the other Numbers had that particular exercise as a hobby.

His body flew in the sky and landed as soft as a cat's paw. Before the guards realized he was there, he knocked them out. He wasn't going to waste his bullets.

The man was in a church of all things.

"I'm here to deliver some bad luck."

The man screamed his last as he pulled the trigger.

Creed was back. How he managed to find out his missions before he did was a mystery.

* * *

He paid for his room and headed straight back to his flat. He was out before his head touched the pillow.

_He was in a graveyard with another boy. Both of them looked confused to be there._

_A gaudy cup lay on the ground, almost innocently. It was the reason they were there._

_Suddenly a flash of green light hit the older boy. A flash of red knocked him out._

_He awoke tied to a statue of an angel._

_A rat-man approached him with a knife._

* * *

Train woke up with a sweat. That was one of his more vivid nightmares. He got them occasionally, but they were usually not that unpleasant.

He put a hand to his face. What were those nightmares about? They felt more like memories than anything.

His question was who the memories belonged to. A name always came to him, but by the time he woke up it was gone. He felt like if he knew the name, a lot of his questions would be answered.

He got up and took a long shower. It was the simple things that kept him going most days. Like a book he had never read before.

(Though where they vanished to when he was done he had no idea. Strangely enough, whenever he felt the urge to reread them, they always appeared out of nowhere on his table.)

He left his flat and walked down the street. A man wearing sunglasses passed closely by him, and Train took the envelope without any indication that he had it.

The red color told him he had another mission.

_Why can't I ever have a vacation?_ He thought annoyed. It had barely been a month since his last assignment.

He decided to get it out of the way, and then request some down time. Every once in a while they would actually grant the request.

The only issue was that it wasn't often.

* * *

He got on his motorcycle and drove hard to the city. The sooner he got it over with, the sooner he could request that vacation.

He killed the man, and got out of there. When he saw Creed, he grimaced.

He wasn't going to file the request if Creed was going to follow him!

He brushed past the man and said nothing.

He filed the request, and to his shock it was granted. He was thinking somewhere sunny. It was getting pretty cold in the town he lived in. Once he packed his bags, he left.

The vehicle roared to life. Train felt someone watching him and winced. The only person who would bother him was Creed.

He fled the city before the man could think to bother him.

He paid the air port to transport his motorcycle. It didn't really bother him that he had to pay an extra hundred.

When he landed, he went straight to the beach and rented a surf board.

His body cut through the waves with ease. He had never ridden a board before, but it seemed to come naturally to him. Almost like he had done it before...

* * *

_He was flying. The thin stick of wood seemed to vibrate under him as he tried to find the small gold ball._

_Suddenly the stick jerked. He grabbed it on instinct. In less than five minutes, he was dangling on the thing. Another good move and he would fall to his death. Without warning it stopped as quickly as it began._

_He swung on the thing and got back on. He sped to the ground and barely leveled out before he crashed._

_The ball was within reach. He almost had it... then he pivoted onto the grass._

_His mouth had been open, and the small gold object nearly got lodged in his throat. He managed to spit it out before he choked._

* * *

Train woke up. It was one of his more pleasant memories, that was certain. A name was on the edge of his lips.

It started with an H, that much he was certain. He took out one of his favorite tales and wrote it down on the cover. Perhaps he would get more letters as the more pleasant ones came?

Like any of the dark memories, he knew he wouldn't get any sleep. So he decided to take a run.

As Train ran along the beach, he enjoyed the sight of the moonlight on the ocean. He had desperately needed this break.

Then again, he would be swamped with missions when he got home. He finally stopped near a bookstore. It was filled with old books. And it was open until midnight.

He entered the shop, wondering if he could find anything interesting.

He paused at one shelf.

_A guide to Animagi training and transformations, Healer's Helpmate, Ancient Runes made easy, Potions for Idiots, Spells and Hexes any Mage should know, How to create your own spells..._

The list went on and on. But over half the shelf seemed to be reprints of the same books.

So he grabbed a few that looked more than mildly interesting. Especially the one labeled Animagi. The clerk didn't look very amused that he had grabbed them. At least, until he spoke.

"How many galleons do I owe you?" asked Train.

Train paused. Galleons? What the hell were those?

The clerk took a closer look at him, and his face became amused.

"Another one, eh? Looks like you haven't fully synchronized with whoever you got stuck with yet. Come on in the back lad, and I'll get you sorted out."

Train followed, unsure why he did so.

"First off, what house were you in?"

Train answered again, without realizing _why_ he said anything.

"Gryffindor, but the Hat originally wanted me in Slytherin."

"Unusual combination, but alright. Wand type?"

"Holly with Phoenix feather core, eleven inches."

"Familiar?"

"Snow owl."

"I don't suppose you know your own animal form?"

"Father was a stag, but when I took the potion it came out large cat. Couldn't tell what type though."

"Classes?"

"Care for Magical Creatures and Divination, though I dropped that."

"Years completed?"

"Six, never had a chance to finish seventh."

The man nodded. He had narrowed down who was in the boy before him.

"Today is your lucky day. I can increase the rate of the synchronization. And give you one thing from your past life."

Train was utterly confused at this point. What the hell was making him answer all these weird questions? But whatever was inside him nudged him again.

Another memory hit him...of a beautiful white bird soaring towards him. The bird was a source of many good memories, and only one bad.

"I want my owl back."

The man seemed surprised. Normally those who wandered in asked for their wands. Still, he went deeper into the store and brought out a large cage. Whatever was in there wanted out, NOW.

Train reached into his pocket and pulled out several gold coins he didn't realize he had. The man nodded and handed him his books and the cage, though his books were in a small satchel that went around his waist. He checked to see that they were all there, and was mildly surprised to find out that they all fit in there easily, and with enough room for more.

* * *

When he returned to his room, he lifted the covering off the cage. And stared in shock.

It was the white bird he saw in the memory. A name came to his mind, and he said it aloud.

"Hedwig?"

The owl hooted in surprise, and stopped making a racket. It seemed to look closer at him, and flapped once.

Train slowly opened the door, and the owl did a walk along his hand onto his shoulder. The weight didn't bother him in the slightest. In fact, it almost felt right to have her there.

Exhausted from the excitement, Train fell into a dreamless slumber.

In less than a week, Train had gotten used to the owl. She was well behaved, which was the only reason he decided to keep her at all.

Well, that and the longer she stayed around him, the more of the good memories from the other side came to him. Along with letters to the name he desperately wanted to know.

He now knew beyond a doubt if he ever learned the name of whatever was inside him, his questions would all be answered.

So far he knew the first and over half of the second part of the name.

_HARRY...JAM..._

Very few names started with the first letters J, A, and M. So he was guessing it was either Jamie or James. Right now he was leaning heavily on James.

As he boarded the plane (Hedwig was in the baggage compartment, asleep) he got into his seat. In less than an hour on the flight he was asleep.

He woke up with two new letters and his headache was finally gone.

_HARRY JAMES..._

Harry James what?

He didn't have time to wonder as he got his new assignment. It was a murderer who managed to get himself appointed governor. A man named Lib Tyrant.

He wasn't going to complain. He had his break, and it was time to get back to work.

Though he did get a bit worried when Creed let it slip that he knew about the new resident in his flat. Train paused for a moment, and scowled.

"If you so much as touch a feather on my owl, I will wring your scrawny neck."

Train actually liked the owl, who got along fine with the strays around his apartment. She even brought mice and rats for the cats.

Creed made no sign that he heard him. But if the man dared to harm that owl, he would follow through. He liked Hedwig more than he liked Creed.


	2. Chapter 2

Once he returned home, he went outside with his milk. The cat was so used to him being there that all he had to do was pour it in the dish.

He had noticed a while ago that it never came near anyone else.

As he sat on his bench, listening to the silent night, he heard singing. Whoever it was had a good voice, because the sound didn't crack once.

The clouds rolled over the moon, and he turned his head slowly.

Just as he suspected, it was a girl. He was just glad that she broke him out of his darker musings.

"_Let's sing the world's song_

_How far shall we go_

_Looking up in the sky_

_A baby's first cry_

_The beating of an insect's wings_

_Lightly, lightly floating_

_Carrying our feelings."_

She smiled at him, and jumped across the roofs to his own. She had all of the grace of a cat. He could see thanks to the full moon that she had a gun in her yakuta, not that it was obvious.

Train said nothing as she swiped his milk. He didn't mind the company, to be honest.

Her presence was actually quite calming.

She laughed.

"Nothing beats a bottle of milk after singing! But if you're up here just staring into space like that, a crow will peck your head!"

Train snorted. Like Hedwig would actually _allow_ that to happen.

The girl looked up when she heard a loud hoot. Hedwig had driven off the crow. But not before the blasted bird took a swipe at him with it's wing.

The owl hooted imperiously at the crow, as if chastising it. It gave a raucous caw in return.

Train would swear if asked that the thing swore at her.

Hedwig hooted again, and settled in.

The girl stared.

"What's with the bird?" she finally asked.

"She keeps me company when the cat doesn't show up," said Train. Which was half true, to an extent.

"Are you moon gazing with your cat?"

It then occurred to her that the milk she had taken was for the cat.

"Oh no! Does that mean I drank milk for the cat? I'm sorry, but I was thirsty so... However! It was also your fault for letting your guard down! If it wasn't for me, you would've definitely gotten pecked by that crow!"

Train gave Hedwig an amused look.

She laughed.

"A boy who's only friends with animals can't look cool at all even when he tries to act smooth, you know!"

She stretched.

"At any rate, your kitty is late, isn't he?"

Finally she spotted his gun.

"Wow! That's a pretty gun!"

Train didn't think Hades qualified as _pretty_.

"But why do you have a gun?"

"You have one, too," he retorted.

She grinned and brought it out.

"Tada! I may not look like one, but I'm a sweeper! What about you?"

He remained silent. He didn't want the strange girl to run from him for being an assassin.

The wind blew clouds over the moon. The only light seemed to shine on the two of them on the roof.

"We're kinda alike, aren't we?"

She walked closer to him.

"I'll take this, too, okay?" she said, taking his milk.

"Thanks for the milk! Looks like your friend's not coming tonight, huh? I think you've done enough moon gazing too..." she said, jumping off the low roof.

"Well, then, see ya!" she laughed.

Hedwig flew to his shoulder. Train absently petting her feathers. Her presence always soothed his mind.

"I know...that girl was a bit strange, wasn't she?" he said. Hedwig hooted as they went back inside.

* * *

Train spent most of his day reading the books he got at that odd store. The one he was currently buried in was about Animagi. While he had no idea what that was, the other presence did. All it had to do to get him interested was to show him turning into an actual cat, and he was hooked.

It seemed that in order to pull it off, he would need some rare ingredients. And he didn't even have near enough coin to buy such things, let alone the know-how to brew them.

Fortunately 'Harry' had another idea.

It was called meditation, and wasn't nearly as expensive as making some weird concoction.

So he sat down on his bed, and calmed his heart. Any worried or fears he had about the way his life was going, and pain he felt for becoming a murderer, slowly vanished.

He almost felt like he was sleeping, except that he was aware of his surroundings. Hedwig's breathing seemed to soothe his mind, and before he was aware of what was happening, he felt his thoughts drift away.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

And tried not to yelp. A teen about his age with emerald green eyes and hair very similar to his own in black stood in front of him. Hedwig seemed very intent on the boy.

It was then that he knew.

This was 'Harry' the other side of himself that he was slowly becoming aware of. The boy almost seemed like a cat himself.

"Harry?"

The boy grinned.

"_I'm him. Sorry about using your body like that in the shop. I never asked to be reincarnated."_

Train had seen the memory where the voice had forced him to be brought back. All because of some prophecy or another.

"So what are we going to do now?"

"_You can continue your life, until the point where you actually need me or my powers. Then I will help you."_

"Sounds fair to me."

* * *

Train felt his tears as he held Saya. She was dying, all because she had managed to get closer to him than anyone had ever done.

_Harry, you had better help me or I swear I will never forgive you!_

He could feel something click into place. His golden cat like eyes shifted in the light of the fireworks.

Creed watched in complete shock as Train started to glow a warm emerald color... the glow extended from him into the girl he had just killed for getting too close to his toy.

The girl's breathing, which had been ragged, had evened out. A protective sphere surrounded her body, and Creed knew that he would be unable to break it.

Train turned, and Creed felt the first inklings of actual fear. This was not his Black Cat. This was something much more dangerous.

This was a man with absolutely nothing to lose.

"_You...have just pissed off the wrong cat, Creed."_

The shivers grew worse.

Then Train went after him like a man possessed...which after seeing those haunted green eyes Creed could believe he _was_ in fact possessed.

"Those eyes... those moves..." he whispered, feeling excited despite the clear intent to murder him the bloodiest method possible.

"That witch! She did something to you, didn't she?" Creed demanded.

Train's cold laugh terrified Creed to the bone. It was inhuman.

"_You're wrong, Creed. It's quite the opposite in fact. Saya is not a witch. I am."_

Seeing his confusion, Harry smirked from inside Train. Train may have control over the body, but Harry was in full control of the magic the man was using.

Without warning, Train became the large black panther that Harry had shown him in their daily meditation moments. It was when he was working with the boy that Train had managed to harness his magic, and learn how to transform his body at will.

They called it... Guenhwyvar.

(Harry had found the _Forgotten Realms_ series when he was alive, and was absolutely hooked on the Drizzt books. Once Train read them, he became hooked too.)

Creed was in absolute shock over the transformation, and failed to block the large claws that they used to rip his outfit.

The tanker nearby caught on fire, and they took notice. There were small children in the area, who happened to see Creed kill (or would have, had Train not inherited Harry) Saya.

Creed fled the scene, and they switched back. Seeing the children nearby, they covered the little ones to keep them safe from the explosion.

"Ow... I hate Creed," whined Train.

"_Agreed. He won't be so easy to catch off guard again."_

* * *

Train had woken up in a room with the same man he had spared when he took out Torneo. Sven was a sweeper, same as Saya.

Of course they told him her body hadn't been found.

_Harry, where did you send Saya?_

"_She's alive...and right now extremely pissed off at both of us. She doesn't have a hint of magic, so she can't break the barrier I put around her to save her from Creed..."_

Train winced.

"You shouldn't be moving," Rinslet told him.

"Yeah, but if I don't go to break that barrier, she'll finish what that explosion started..." said Train cryptically.

"Who?" asked Rinslet, amused.

"Saya. She can't break the barrier she's under."

"The girl you mentioned earlier? Where is she?" asked Sven.

_Harry, directions?_

"_I'd have an easier time showing them than telling. Besides, you have to explain to her about Creed."_

Train slowly got up. His wounds were almost healed completely, thanks to Harry's magic speeding up the process. They all looked when they heard tapping.

"Hedwig!"

Everyone stared at Train. He owned an owl?

Rinslet opened the window, and the owl cuffed Train.

"On second thought, she can lead you there."

_Can she?_

"_Absolutely. Ask her properly, and she can lead you to practically anyone... (he chuckles) She's also the reason why I have such a good sense of direction and never get lost in a new city."_

Train looked at the owl, and asked calmly "Can you lead them to Saya? She's stuck under the barrier."

Hedwig hooted imperiously. She could find anyone her nestling needed her to.

"Um, don't take this the wrong way...but have you ever had your head examined?" asked Sven.

Hedwig looked right at Sven, took off, and proceeded to attack him without mercy. Train couldn't help the snickering. Neither could everyone else.

"Hedwig...is as smart as any human you met. Probably smarter than some of those idiots you chase down," grinned Train.

Train whistled sharply, and she broke off her attack. She returned to his side, calm as ever.

"That bird...is a menace."

"A menace who only attacked because you were stupid enough to insult her intelligence," Rinslet noted, with some amusement.

Hedwig hooted, and nuzzled Train.

"So what do you say Hedwig? Can you help them find Saya?"

Hedwig bobbed her head.

* * *

Rinslet stayed behind while Sven and Eve followed the bird. For obvious reasons, Sven kept a good distance away from her.

"I don't see anything," said Sven.

They were in an abandoned warehouse. Hedwig kept circling a rather medium sized area on the floor, right under a hole in the ceiling.

Eve looked at the spot. She could see a weird dome there.

She took her hand...and knocked on it. Sven jumped when he heard glass breaking. In the area where the owl was circling was a girl in a kimono.

"Ow... I am going to kill Train!" she grumbled.

"Are you Saya?"

"Yeah..." she said cautiously.

Hedwig swooped and landed on her arm.

"You two know Train?"

"We rescued him..." said Sven sourly.

Saya smirked. Train seemed to have that effect on everyone except his owl.

"What was that thing you were under?" asked Eve.

"A barrier...from what I could tell. I don't know how, but Train healed me after that crazy trannie stabbed me with an invisible sword of some kind. Next thing I know, I'm stuck under some dome with no way out. The only thing that could get in was air."

* * *

Hedwig hooted, and went straight to her master. Train was taking a long nap when she swooped into the window.

"Hey girl. You've done good. Get some rest and hunt later."

Hedwig hooted, and promptly went to sleep on the sill.

Train yawned, and looked out the window. He paled when he realized Saya was with the others.

Saya went right up to him, and wocked him a good one.

"Train, you have some explaining to do!" she growled.

Train winced, as her hit had stretched his wounds.

"_I'll take over from here. You get back to recovering."_

_THANK YOU!_

Sven stared as Train blinked once, and his eyes suddenly turned a brilliant emerald green color. They still looked like a cat's eye though.

"_What do you want to know?"_ asked an amused Harry.

Everyone blinked at the sudden change.

"Who are you?"

"_Harry. I had the bad luck of being reincarnated too early, and got stuck in this idiot."_

_I heard that!_

_'I know.'_

Harry listened to them, and explained as best he could. A few were rather skeptical about his magic...until he gave Sven pink hair without the use of dyes.

"How...?"

"_Color changing charm," _smirked Harry.

"So that was how you saved me? Magic?"

"_Train wanted you to live badly enough that he woke me up. Fortunately for you, Death owes me quite a few favors and was willing to let you go."_

They stared. How did a kid know about Death?

Harry gave them a sad grin.

"_Death...has taken everything away from me and hasn't given me a single thing in return. In order to even out the balance, he owes me for at least nine more favors. I used one up to save you."_

"Why did Black Cat quit Chronos?" asked Eve suddenly.

Harry looked right at Saya.

"_He was tired of being a cat that was only good for killing. He would rather be a stray than serve a master who's only solution was killing people."_

Saya realized what Harry was getting at.

"Wait, you're saying I nearly died because I convinced Train not to kill people?"

"_Actually, you were nearly killed because you came to close to him. You were changing him and that psychopath Creed didn't like it. Though I find it highly amusing he called you a witch..."_

Saya pouted.

"So what happens now?"

"_Ask Train when he wakes up. This is his body to use, not mine,"_ said Harry firmly.

"Train...why did you never tell me you were possessed?" asked Saya sweetly.

"Would you have believed me?"

* * *

**In the other room...**

"I swear, it's creepy seeing Black Cat act like a normal person," said Sven.

"Considering he's a stray... Can we keep him?" asked Eve.

Sven choked on his water.

Saya came out of the room. Since coming to terms with the truth, she had been a rather good influence on Eve.

"Train and I have come to a decision. You guys need reliable info, right?"

"Yeah...?"

"I'll help you guys out by sending work your way. It should keep me off the radar."

"What about Train?"

"He's sticking with you. Apparently only someone with magic could have broken that barrier, so Harry wants to train Eve."

"Good luck, I suppose."

"We'll meet each other again. Count on it."

* * *

Eve gave Harry a patient look. Her entire life, she had been trained to kill using her power. Harry was the first person she had ever met who was going to show her how to use it for something other than death.

"Normally I would start you on the easy stuff, like levitating an object. But with your ability over nanomachines as advanced as it is, I think you can start off at a run instead of a walk."

Hedwig had brought a nice plump rabbit, still terrified out of it's wits from the flight. It had bee scratched up pretty good by the owl, so Harry was going to walk Eve through a crash course in healing.

Eve breathed in and out in time with Harry's calm manner. She was perfectly calm, as she ordered her nanomachines to go towards her hands.

Harry had speculated that since she could control her nanomachines with a thought, she could probably do the same with her magic. It just required a different set of skills.

Eve's calm breathing and her innate ability to control the nanomachines seemed to help in healing the rabbit. If she succeeded, they would let it go. If not...well, then Hedwig had brought back dinner.

A cool blue glow came from Eve's hands...and slowly the wounds started to close. It was gradual at first...then it went faster.

The rabbit's erratic breathing calmed.

Eve opened her eyes...and found a perfectly healthy bunny staring at her.

"I was right. You are a natural," said Harry.

She smiled at him, and they went outside. The rabbit fled as soon as it touched the ground.


End file.
